Bewitched:
by LeXemeWright
Summary: After pestering England for a peek into the Wizarding World in which the United Kingdom is home to, Japan is enrolled into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he gets much, /much/ more than what he bargained for. (This is my first publication to this site. Dx Please be nice. I still have to grow used to this format...)
1. Boarding the Train

Platform Nine And Three Quarters.

Kiku Honda couldn't find it anywhere. Nor could he find Arthur Kirkland. The Asian student heavily regretted not choosing to meet Arthur at his manor so they could arrive at King's Cross Station together. Kiku had been to London a handful of times before (to visit Arthur, of course), but he was still not used to the activity at the Station. Kiku had steered his trolley out of the inflow of human traffic, and remained between two columns searching the crowds for either one of two familiar faces: Arthur Kirkland, or Rubeus Hagrid.

Kiku wouldn't have gotten as far as he had without Rubeus Hagrid. It was he who had brought Kiku to Diagon Alley to do his school supplies shopping. However, seeing as yen was not an acceptable currency in the wizarding world –much less in Europe, to begin with–, the two of them had to make a stop at Gringotts Bank first. /However/, Kiku did not have a personal account set up with Gringotts, nor had he made any investments towards his own education otherwise. It had all happened so suddenly, his calling to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry–

A loud hiss made Kiku jump out of his daydream. It was his cat, Tama. The small Japanese cat was /not/ happy about being locked up in a little cage. He might have also been afraid being around so many people. Kiku understood how that felt. He wasn't too fond of crowds either. Tama's fur bristled and he scratched at the bars. So far as Kiku knew, this behavior was /not/ normal of Tama. He muttered small comforting words in his native tongue, though they were easily drowned out. Kiku kept an eye out. He was getting anxious. His train was supposed to be leaving soon. He peek up at the clock down a ways. Ten minutes. He had ten minutes to find Platform Nine And Three Quarters. But Platform Nine And Three Quarters was nowhere in sight. He was standing under the archway between platforms Nine and Ten. There was no Nine And Three Quarters. He couldn't just ask someone either. Oh humanity, the looks and spitfire answers he might receive had he gone up to the closest person asking for a Platform Nine And Three Quarters!

Kiku shifted on his feet. He looked up and down the platforms, searching desperately for either of the two faces that could help him. Five minutes. Kiku decided to take the chance. He left his cart and went to a woman in a fur-lined coat.

A sharp twitter caught his attention, and he turned his head. Kiku spotted a young boy with his parents. The boy had a trolley-cart, just like himself, and he too, had a caged pet. He spotted a barn owl rustling its wings inside. That barn owl meant more than anything else to Kiku. Salvation.

Kiku returned to his own trolley and watched the two parents guide their child. They turned left, passing under the same arch he was under, and to his surprise, they were all facing him, waiting.

"Excuse us," pardoned the father, a man with dark thinning hair under a tweed cap. Kiku was a little startled.

"Yes?" he flinched from being put on the spot so suddenly. He saw how the father snuck a curt glance to his wife. Cautiously he leaned forward, pressing his hands on his son's shoulders.

"Are you lost, boy?"

"How did you-"

"Your trunk, little lad," he pointed, "Fargon. I recognise the brand. You can only get a trunk like that from Schwopp's Shoppe. Marvelous piece of work you've got there."

Kiku was taken by surprise. This man was keenly observant. But it also struck him odd that he was scrutinizing his trunk. It didn't seem all that special. In fact, he had gotten it at a discount price while touring Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Perhaps this man had an eye for art as well.

"You're trying to get to Platform Nine And Three Quarters?"

"Yes, I am," Kiku nodded, pushing aside the oddities for now, "Could you tell me how to get there? My guide-" Kiku looked over his shoulder, "Well, he has not shown up."

"Aha~" the man laughed lightly with a smile touched upon his features, "Truth be told, the reason I knew you were lost, boy, is because here you are standing, with the Platform right behind you!"

This exclamation sent him into a wheezy fit of laughter, and the wife slapped his shoulder.

"Now that's just cruel, Thomas! The boy must be a first-year and if you've got no one to help you, it's a scary thing!"

Kiku had not heard the wife's scolding. In that moment he had whipped around, only to come face-to-face with a brick wall. Was this man -Thomas- fooling with him-? But then he saw it. A small sign that he had missed before, by some miracle. A plastic plaque inscribed "Platform 9¾" hung up and out of his own reach.

"Dad, we're going to miss the train!" the boy suddenly exclaimed, and both parents were brought to attention. The mother quickly approached Kiku.

"Come here, Hon," she ushered, to which Kiku moved away from the wall.

"Alright, here we go, Steve," Thomas patted his son's back, and the two of of them were set, as if ready to run a foot race. Kiku stared in shock. The boy's trolley clattered as the boy pushed forward, his father running right behind him, and Kiku flinched when they suddenly passed right through the wall!

"Did you see that?" The wife asked Kiku. He nodded. "Okay, that's what you have to do to get to Platform Nine And Three Quarters. Hurry now! We've only got a minute!"

Having no time for protest or questions, Kiku ran himself at the wall, and the wife followed him. Kiku hardly noticed that her hands were pressed to his shoulders, as if to steady him. It was shocking, passing right through the wall. Absolutely nothing happened, aside from a complete scene change. The platform they were now on was empty, except for Thomas hurrying his son onto the train. The Conductor was giving the last call, chased by a loud echoing tweet of the train whistle.

"AAAALL ABOARD!"

"Go, go!" The wife shouted ahead, "WAIT! WE'VE GOT ONE MORE!"

It was an antique train, Kiku saw, painted red and black, and embellished in gold. A brief glance behind him confirmed it. On a sign bolted to the brick high up, Times New Roman digits read, "9¾".

The Asian felt like he was moving mechanically, despite the rush he felt. One by one his belongings were passed up to him, and he was ushered into the train cabin. The Conductor stopped him though.

"Ticket?"

Kiku's hands flew up and he reflexively patted himself down. He found it in the pocket of his jacket, thankfully. He handed it off, the tall man snipped it with a hole punch and returned it. Kiku stepped into the narrow hall passage on the left side of the cabin. He slowly dragged his trunk behind him. Tama and the rest of his things had been stored in the side compartments of the train. He hoped that Tama would be okay.

Making his way along, he peeked into the large windows of the private cubicles in the cabin. This whole setup was very extravagant. The first cubicle he passed was full with a maximum occupancy of four persons. They were all older students chattering among themselves. A few glanced briefly to meet Kiku's gaze, but he shuffled on quickly. The next cubicle had two boys, both young. They seemed to be making casual conversation. They too, paused to look at Kiku. These students were younger than him, he realized. They also were wearing their uniforms already.

The train jolted suddenly, and Kiku stumbled, catching himself on the wall beside him. The door slid open suddenly.

"Hey, come sit in here," one of the boys stuck his head out, "I think all the other spaces are full already."

Kiku accepted the invitation and awkwardly shuffled into the cubicle with the two of them. The second boy made room for Kiku to sit. He passed a "thank you" in between breaths and settled down. The two boys seemed to be fascinated by him. He figured it was because he was Oriental.

"Where do you come from, Mister?" the second boy asked, "I couldn't help hearing your, uh, accent."

Right away Kiku was a little embarrassed. The first boy, who had strawberry blond hair elbowed him hard.

"Bloody hell, Pete, y'don't just /ask/ someone that! Geez, you've got no /manners/!" He spoke exasperatingly and emphatically. The brunette boy winced, rubbing his arm. The fair-head turned back to him.

"Sorry about that. My name's Chauncey. Chauncey Higgins. He's Peter McDallen, or Pete, for short." The boy named Chauncey extended a hand politely. Kiku knew his parents had raised him well. He was hesitant to shake, but he bowed a little and accepted his hand. Again, he felt embarrassed, but this time because of his own name.

"I'm Honda Kiku-," he nodded. He addressed himself as was custom in Japan, last name first, out of habit. "Pete-san was right though. I'm not from England." Chauncey's brows arched.

"Really? Where're you from then, Honda?" (It was then that Kiku realized his mistake in flipping his name around, but he let it slide.)

"Japan."

Chauncey's eyes were huge.

"You're from /Japan/?" This surprised expression quickly relaxed though, as he slouched in his seat a little, "Huh. I thought Hogwarts only enrolled students from the UK. So you're in the exchange student programme then?"

Kiku nodded, even though he had no idea what he was talking about.

"Nice. That's really cool. So you're from Gakuen then?"

Kiku broke a small sweat. For a youngster, this kid was extremely knowledgable!

"Yes."

"Wow, that's so awesome!" Pete kicked his feet excitedly, "A foreigner student, I never would've imagine I would meet one!"

Kiku had to smile. It was flattering.

"So, what grade are you both in?" The Asian "exchange student" questioned.

"Me 'n Pete are first-years," Chauncey answered, picking at some dirt under his nails. "We haven't been sorted into our Houses yet."

"First years?"

"Mhm," Pete's voice chirped, "What about you?"

"I'm a fourth-year," Kiku swallowed, suddenly anxious about how on earth he was going to get caught up in his classes. "What's this talk about houses?" Chauncey looked up.

"Oh, it's nothing to sweat over, don't worry," he picked a fleck of dirt, "Every year Hogwarts has an entrance ceremony to ring in the new school year, and that's when all the new students get sorted into their Houses. They're like dormitories, but they're special dorms named after past students, or something, I guess."

"You seem to know a lot about Hogwarts, Chauncey-san," Kiku noted, "Are you sure you are a first-year student?"

"Huh-?" The freckle-faced child looked up. "Oh. The only reason I know that much is because my older sister attends Hogwarts too." This made the Asian's brows rise.

"She does?"

"She's in the cubby behind you. You probably saw her when you walked in here. She was the one with the wild curly dirty blond hair." Kiku quickly thought back on it. Yes, he had seen her. She had been laughing very hard for some reason. "Yeah, she always had a lot to tell us about school whenever she was able to come home for school breaks. She's a year-seven now. The Sorting Hat put her in Slytherin."

Slytherin? The name sounded evil to Kiku for some reason. Well, maybe it was because he thought of a snake, and snakes tended to be labeled as evil animals. Kiku wondered how well the House name suited her. Chauncey shivered. "I hope I don't get put in Slytherin."

"You don't want to be with your sister?"

"No!" He squeaked, which made Kiku jump, "Are you crazy? Why would I wanna be in the same House as my /sister/?" He made a face, disgusted, and Kiku had to will himself not to laugh. A typical brother-sister relationship, he supposed.

"What about you, Pete-san?" He smiled, looking to the quiet boy, "Do you have any family in Hogwarts too?"

Pete looked up from the window he had been peering out of this whole time. He had such a timid look in his eyes that it troubled Kiku a little. Did Chauncey really hurt him that much?

"No," he stuttered a bit, "I'm the oldest."

"Really?" Kiku did his best to sound fascinated, for Pete's sake. Well, he /was/ fascinated, but he wanted to try to lift his spirits a bit too. Pete nodded, lifting a very brief half-smile.

"Yeah. I got a little sister. She's three."

Kiku's heart melted a little bit at that. "I'm sure you are a great onii-san."

"What's an "onii-san"?" Pete asked, rubbing one of his eyes.

"Big brother. It means big brother, in Japanese," the older student translated.

"Oh sweet!" Chauncey yipped, jumping up in his seat, "Candy cart!"

Kiku peeked out the window, and sure enough, a lady pushing a cart of confectionary items was advancing towards their door. The lady slid the door open and asked in a sugar-sweet voice, "Would you boys fancy something to eat~?"

"You bet!" Chauncey dug into his pockets for money that his parents probably had given him. Kiku reached for his own wad of bills, but Chauncey put up a hand and stopped him. "I got it, friend. It's on me today." Surprised, Kiku sat back down, and instead eyed the cart, seeing all sorts of candies that he had never seen before, or heard of. "What do you want, Pete?" Chauncey looked over his shoulder. Pete drew his eyes away from the window again.

"Chocolate frogs would be okay."

"I'll take four frogs," Chauncey picked four small boxes, adding on to his growing stash of candy loot. When all was said and done, there was candy everywhere. Kiku was sure that this much candy would rot their teeth. Chauncey seemed to be chewing on some kind of taffy. Pete was fumbling to open the box of one of the chocolate frogs. Kiku remained, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Chauncey seemed to notice this because he stopped eating.

"What's the matter, Honda?"

"Oh-" he stiffened, "No, I just don't have much of a sweet tooth."

"Aw, really?" The freckled face scrunched a bit, "Man, you should've said so sooner. I wouldn't have bought so much junk then." He looked around, seeing they were all but blanketed in the stuff. This stressed Kiku even more.

"No, no, Chauncey-san, I can take some off of your hands. Thank you, Chauncey-san. It was very thoughtful of you," he spoke earnestly, as he began to huddle his own stash of the candy in all politeness. He made a mental note to spread out how often he would eat from said stash. He picked up a small box and looked it over. "Every Flavor Beans", it read. Curiously, he peeled it open. They looked like ordinary jelly beans. He poured some out onto his hand, and without a second thought, he popped them in his mouth. Pete dropped his chocolate frog.

"WAIT-!"

"DON'T—!"

Kiku instantly regretted it.

Fortunately there was a lavatory in the train cabin.

Unfortunately he only made it to the window across the hall.


	2. Harley

"You're only supposed to eat them one at a time-" Chauncey said, as Kiku hung out the window, ill. Students in neighboring cubicles were peeking out of their doors, some of them had stepped out into the narrow hall, asking what was going on, because they had heard the two boys' screams. "He's just sick, he just got sick," Chauncey explained, trying to shoo them off. Girls and boys both were immediately repelled when they saw vomit on the windows.

"He popped multiple Beans at the same time," Pete offered the box up for display.

"Hey Bud, you alright?" An upperclassman asked, patting Kiku's back. The Asian's stomach lurched, and his voice gurgled, a warning that he might toss again. Students groaned and stepped away. "We need a nurse in here," a girl piped, cringing. The upperclassman shot a small glare her way, before turning back to Kiku.

"You'll be alright, Bud," he rubbed the smaller student's back soothingly, "Happened my first time eating Beans too. Live and learn-"

Kiku expelled again without warning, and a unison of cries and groans erupted. The upperclassman turned to the masses. "Alright, alright, show's over, everyone go back to your cubbies, there's nothing to see here- go on now-" Most of the students were pretty compliant. They had seen enough to feel sick themselves. "You too, shorties." The upperclassman told Chauncey and Pete.

"No way! We're staying with him," Chauncey insisted, taking Pete by the wrist, "Right Pete? We were with him from the start."

"I don't care- go sit down right now, the both of you," the upperclassman bit back, "I happen to be friends with the Headmaster. If you don't listen to me, I can easily arrange something with her for you, and trust me, the Headmaster /isn't/ very easy on first-years."

His threat worked. Defeated, Chauncey and Pete returned to their cubicle. But not before Chauncey slipped him a raspberry. The upperclassman rolled his eyes, before their door clicked shut, and he returned to Kiku.

"Hey, do you think you can make it to the loo without hurling, Bud?" He leaned down and pat Kiku's back again. At this point, Kiku felt dry and empty of stomach contents.

"I think so...," the Asian muttered weakly. The older student helped Kiku back inside, and led him to the restroom at the end of the narrow hall. He let him inside and waited outside the door. Kiku carefully knelt at the porcelain throne, hands on his knees. He didn't dare touch the seat. He waited a few minutes, but he stomach seemed to have expelled enough out the window. Kiku grimaced. He felt extremely sorry for whoever was going to have to clean that up. He rose to his feet and turned on the faucet. He washed his mouth out with water, but even then he was unable to get that foul taste out of his mouth. It spurred the gag reflex again, and he returned to the toilet.

"What did it taste like?" The upperclassman asked when Kiku finally emerged. Kiku wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He decided then and there that he would never eat Every Flavor Beans again. Ever.

"... Like blood,... a strange burning taste of scented soap -whatever that was, it tasted like poison-,... cherries and sugarplums." He looked at the upperclassman, who he now realized was at least a foot taller than him. The older boy had a straight face until he suddenly burst out laughing.

"Sugarplums...!" he gasped, holding his stomach, "Oh! I'm so sorry, but /that/ is ironic-"

Kiku didn't see the irony in sugarplums.

The student took his time to calm down, and in the meantime Kiku found himself studied the tight curls of his chestnut hair. The upperclassman came back to his senses.

"I'm so sorry, but that gave me a good laugh-" he wiped away a tear, "My first time was /far/ worse. Consider yourself lucky, Bud~"

"What did you taste?" The Asian inquired. To this, the tall fellow gave him a serious look.

"You /really/ don't want to know."

Kiku was left to his expanse of an imagination there. The older student chuckled again.

"Well, I completely understand if you never want to eat those again. They can give a nasty bite if you're unlucky. And that would make two of us~" he casually patted Kiku shoulder, and Kiku shied away. "I was with my friends when it happened. We challenged each other to down a whole box of 'em. No one was brave enough to. Except me, of course." A grin flashed on his face, and Kiku was surprised at how long his teeth were, extending from the gum line. Perfect teeth, but long teeth. The upperclassman's grin dropped, curtaining his teeth again, and continued, "Well I got good money for doing it, so in the end, it was worth it."

Kiku didn't speak a word, and listened. He thought about asking this young man for pointers on Hogwarts, but he soon discovered how much this kid loved to talk.

"Say, I don't remember seeing you around last year." The young man shrugged, "I guess maybe it's just because we have seniority at Hogwarts and hardly pay attention to the "little people". No offense, of course-" he quickly excused himself. "Were you here last year, or are you a newbie?"

"This is my first year here," Kiku answered.

"Really?" the upperclassman seemed genuinely surprised. "You sure look too old to be a first-year– wait, let me guess-" he snapped a finger, pointing a finger gun at him playfully, "Foreign exchange student?"

He nodded.

"Aw, that's totally wicked! Where are you from?" He asked, standing his hands on his hips, "I mean, I can see Asia, but it's hard to tell-"

"-Japan," Kiku cut in, "...I'm from Japan."

"Japan/nese/~" his voice rolled as he tossed the Asian a wink, "Land o' the Rising /Sun/~Nice~"

"Thank you," he bowed out of habit.

"My name's Harley, by the way," the Japanese was faced with an outstretched hand for the second time, "Harley Perginson. Everyone calls me Hasty Perginson though."

"Hasty Perginson? Why Hasty-"

"Hasty Perginson, or just Hasty, either or, it's all the same. And you'll find out why soon enough, Bud," he patted Kiku's shoulder again, and again Kiku moved back a little.

"Please don't touch me," he muttered. Harley didn't seem to hear him.

"Anyway, what's your name?"

"...Kiku Honda."

"Honda? Like the Japanese cars?"

"-We're not related at all," Kiku professed, "The name is only coincidental."

"Ah." Harley shrugged, "Well, anyway, Kiku, if you need help at all, I'm your man. I've been at this school for six years. Six going on seven." He grinned proudly, "I'm gonna be graduating this year." Kiku had to be honest that he was not expecting that.

"C– Congratulations," he said without thinking.

"Ah-ah-ah," he wagged a finger, "Don't congratulate me yet, Kiku. I still have to pass my N.E.W.T.s." he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "Man, I am /not/ looking forward to that..."

"I wish you the best luck then, Harley-san," Kiku nodded. This returned the smile to Harley's face.

"Thanks, Bud."

"Of course."

Kiku suddenly felt bad for leaving Chauncey and Pete alone for so long. He hoped that weren't missing his company.

"I'm sorry, Harley-san, but I think I should get back to Chauncey-san and Pete-san." Harley nodded understandingly.

"Yeah, I should get back to my cubby too. Technically we shouldn't be loitering in the hall anyway," he reached up to tip an invisible hat, "I'll see you around, Kiku. And if you ever need anything, or have a question, ask for Hasty. Everyone will know who you mean. Except the first-years, of course."

Kiku then saw which cubby Harley had come from. He had been seated in the forth cubby, two cubicles behind his own. Harley slid the door open, when Kiku suddenly found himself calling his name. Harley stopped, and waited for him to continue.

"What House are you in?"

Harley grinned again.

"Gryffindor."


	3. The Entrance Ceremony

It wasn't easy having to look at the windows as he slipped back into his own cubicle. Pete was the first to speak this time, as Kiku sank back into his seat.

"Are you okay, Honda?"

"H-Yes," he had quickly corrected himself before answering "hai" reflexively, "Yes, I feel better now, Pete-san."

"I'm sorry we didn't warn you about the Beans."

"Yeah, we just thought you already knew about them," Chauncey piped in.

"It's alright, Chauncey-san. I've already decided that I won't eat them anymore," he smiled a little humorously for their benefit and reach for his own stash of candy that he had compiled before. "Here, I'll trade the rest of my Beans for anything you have," he offered Chauncey. The freckled boy agreed, and handed over an even number of his own confections. Kiku reached for the pullstring bag that he had saved from being stored in the side compartments, and stuff his candy in it.

The rest of the train ride was ridden in the comfort of that small cubicle. Kiku and the two boys got to know each other a little better, though Kiku was sure that once classes began, he wouldn't be seeing them too much anymore. Kiku took the time to study Chauncey and Pete. It turned out that Chauncey and Pete had been best friends, ever since Chauncey had saved Pete from a group of school ground bullies by using magic illegally outside of school. Chauncey hadn't even used a wand. After that particular incident, his parents knew that he was gifted, just like his sister, who he discovered was named Shannon. Pete was grateful to Chauncey and remained by his side as a means of "protection", to an extent. Neither Chauncey nor Pete had told Kiku this. He had arrived at that conclusion based on how Pete contributed towards their friendship. He could tell that Chauncey was a little bit "abusive" sometimes, almost a bully himself, but Chauncey seemed to know where the fine line was drawn. Pete appeared to be a "willing slave" of Chauncey's, because he seemed to be that indebted to Chauncey. Kiku didn't exactly approve of this sort of friendship, but he really had no say in the matter. He wasn't there and he hadn't seen anything for himself. Maybe there was a lot more to it than he was picking up on. He simply didn't know.

The train ride was definitely the longest train ride Kiku had even been on. They had left King's Cross Station at midday, and the sun was already beginning to set. Kiku wished he had brought a watch. He asked his first-year friends for the time.

"It's 6:03," Chauncey answered, after clicking open a pocket watch.

"How long do you think we'll be before we reach Hogwarts?"

"Well, Shannon said we'd get there after nightfall."

Kiku reached for his trunk and popped it open. He stood up and rummaged through it.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm going to get changed," the Asian answered. He found his uniform, nice and new inside its plastic bag. He figured that with there being only one bathroom, there would be a line later on, of students rushing to change clothes. Kiku's issued uniform consisted of pressed black pants, a white collared shirt and a plain black robe with the Hogwarts Castle crest on it. He was given a black tie too. This was the traditional dress code for new students who hadn't been sorted yet. Kiku was anxious to find out which House he would be placed in. He hoped that if anything, he might be sorted into Gryffindor with Harley, or whichever House Arthur Kirkland was in. At this point, he only cared about being in a House with at least one person he knew.

Kiku returned to his cubicle, to find that Pete had fallen asleep, and Chauncey was trying to keep himself entertained with his own pocket watch still. Kiku fiddled with his robe sleeves. He was used to wearing clothing with huge sleeves, so this transition was not difficult for him at all. Kiku thought of everything that happened so far today. He thought of Pochi, and his guinea pig and rabbit, all them which he had to leave at home in Osaka's care. He thought of poor Tama, trapped in a small cage inside a noisy train...

"Hey, wake up Sleeping Beauty," a voice cooed teasingly. The Japanese stirred from a slumber he hadn't remembered falling into. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked to see none other than-

"Harley-san...?"

"We're here, Kiku. End of the line. C'mon, Buddy," he coaxed, shaking him gently by the shoulder. The Asian remembered the first-years and fully woke up then.

"Chauncey and Pete-" he sat up quickly, looking to see an empty seat across from him.

"They're outside already," Harley answered, "They're with the other first-years and Hagrid."

That name rang a bell.

"Hagrid—? Hagrid-san is here?" he asked a bit excitedly. Harley was a bit thrown on by his sudden enthusiasm. Up until now, Kiku Honda had only appeared to be a calm and collected individual to the seventh-year.

"Yeah, of course, he's the prefect that guides the new students to the Castle every year."

Kiku was up and out of his seat. He grabbed his things, and noticed the mess that Chauncey had left behind. He felt obligated to clean it up, but Harley rushed him off the the train. It had to depart soon, and head back to King's Cross. It would not be good if they got caught on the train departing /back/ to England. Kiku staggered down the tight steps of the train, and right away he saw the scruffy giant Rubeus Hagrid. His massive mane of wiry dark-greying hair left him wondering how he washed it. But right now he was so happy to recognise a friendly face.

This moment of joy, however was spoiled when he remembered how he had gotten sick over the side of the train. The students were groaning and carrying on about the unsightly scene, not to mention to foul odor. Even Hagrid had seen the mess and commented, so Kiku heard. It was a brief comment, one made out of sympathy, but it still made Kiku self-conscious. Thankfully, though, Hagrid didn't linger on the phenomenon.

"Alright Everyone line yerselves up now-" Hagrid's voice throttled with a tone that was heartwarming and pleasant to the ears, despite it coming from a semi-awkward giant. But a gentle giant Hagrid was. Most of the time. "We'd best be gettin' a move on it. We don't want to be late fer th' Sortin' Cer'mony now-"

"Hagrid-san," Kiku exhaled, relieved to be meeting with him again at last. The broad man was surprised to see a familiar small Asian with him now.

"Kiku Honda!" He bellowed, a grin pressing through his wild facial hair. Naturally, Hagrid was inclined to hug. He was just a pre-disposed hugger. Kiku gasped audibly when his thick tree trunk arms locked around him in a strong, yet gentle embrace. Kiku felt light-headed. He was not a hugger-

It ended quickly, thankfully. Kiku recomposed himself, and tried to rid himself of the odd tingling sensation humming over his prickling skin.

"I'm so glad to see you again," he told Hagrid.

"I'm sorry I couldn't meet ya' at the station, Kiku," the prefect shook his head apologetically, "I was needed here, an', well when the Headmaster be makin' a personal request- well ya' don't just say 'no'-"

"I understand, Hagrid-san," Kiku smiled. Hagrid's pacific tendencies always lightened his heart. He hoped that he might have Hagrid as a teacher. That would make his experience at Hogwarts all the more rewarding.

Hagrid shouted suddenly, calling ahead to order, and he gave the new students -most of them younger than Kiku- a run-though of the night's procession, before he brought them to a quarry. At the bottom of the cliff was a huge dock, where many row boats awaited them. Little lights flickered in the darkness below, reflecting on the choppy water. These lights came from the lanterns that hung from each boat. Kiku suddenly realized that Harley wasn't with them anymore. He assumed that the returning students must have taken a different (less ceremonial?) course to arrive at the Hogwarts Castle. He would have to ask Harley about it later. And Arthur must be with the returning students, Kiku thought, for he could not pick out Arthur among the first-years and others with them.

Kiku took a moment to behold the sight of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a grand sight indeed. It was far across the water, and it was lit up like a Christmas tree. To the far west, a half moon lit up the entire landscape, contributing to the dancing light on the water. Kiku didn't have anything like /this/ back home in Japan. It was a once in a lifetime experience for him, and he would milk it for all it was worth.

Kiku wound up sitting in a boat with five other students. The Asian looked around and saw there were no paddles. Of course, he wound up surprised when the boats began to sail themselves out onto the water. There would be no end to the surprises at Hogwarts, he was sure.

"Wow," a first-year with blond pigtails breathed. Kiku side-glanced at her. He briefly looked around in his boat. All of the students were younger than himself. A child with dark skin was conversing with another male student.

"I heard one kid got sick on the train."

"Really?"

"Yeah, threw up right out the window he did."

"Ewwww!"

Kiku looked away quickly. A foreign set of fingers suddenly wove in with his own, and he turned back quickly. The girl with blond pigtails was squeezing his hand.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," she said. Kiku just looked her in the eyes. He knew what she meant, but didn't say anything. He didn't want to draw any more attention to himself. He heard a heavy sigh behind him. Kiku didn't look right away, but he did look back, he saw a strange sight. The young boy seated behind him had very light hair. Under the moon it looked silvery white. The boy's eyes caught the light too. They were a frightening violet. Were they his natural eye color? Kiku ultimately tried not to linger on it. There were a lot of strange people at Hogwarts, he was convinced.

The boats found the docks on the other side of the lake, and the students filed out, gathering under Hagrid's wings. Hagrid hustled them along to the Great Hall, but before they went inside, Hagrid briefly reviewed the Houses and the competition for the House Cup.

Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. So those are the Houses, Kiku thought.

When they were ready, Hagrid led the new students into the Great Hall, and the Asian was met with an impressive sight:

Four very long tables stretched from their side of the room, to the opposing end. Students were already seated at these tables, also dressed in black gowns, but their ties were coloured. These students were also wearing long, pointed black caps. Kiku thoughts they looked tacky. The tables were bare, and Kiku wondered -with a churning stomach- when the food would be brought out. It wasn't a ceremony without food. At the opposing end of the Hall, another long table stretched out, and there, sat adults dressed in more fanciful costumes. The middle chair was the only seat that was empty.

That must be the headmaster's chair, he assumed.

But not even the historic architecture was the most eye-catching feature in the room. It didn't even come close. The most astounding part of the Great Hall was the ceiling. Looking up, it was dark, and vast, twinkling with little lights. It was the nighttime sky. Not only that, but the air was strewn with— were those /floating candles/? These yellow lights flickered and danced with the stars above them.

Kiku could have stared up at the ceiling for a long time, but time didn't allow. He was ushered forward, and the first-year procession made forth to the head of the Hall, passing between the innermost tables. Kiku's eyes scanned the crowd. Surely, Arthur Kirkland was here. It wasn't until he was at the front of the droning room, that Kiku was suddenly thankful that he was short. He was still considerably taller than most of the first-years, but at least he wasn't as much of a stick-out as he could have been. Still, he felt many eyes on him. He was certain that two pairs of those eyes were Arthur's and Harley's.

Kiku also noticed that the other stick-out student, the one he had seen on the boat with violet eyes, was also taller than the majority of the first-years. The Asian was stunned. Even in the clear light of the Hall, his hair was silvery-white.

A wine glass clinked against a spoon, and the Hall settled down. Kiku looked over quickly to suddenly see a figure occupying the headmaster's seat. She wore an angular pointed hat with a single plume, wire-framed glasses, and a dark-green cloak over darker dressing beneath. The woman had semi-sunken features. Her cheek bones were pronounced, and laugh lines and marionette lines carved deep. Her nose was pointed, and her eyes were precise, just like her personality. Her hair was done up, hidden under her hat, and it was clearly aged, all traces of previous color nearly gone. The somewhat bony hand that clinked the glass retreated.

"Good Evening, Everyone," she began formally, in a loud voice, "I see we have a new year set before us. I see loved faces now gone from their places at the tables...," She paused, to gaze upon the first-years specifically, "and I see new faces, ready... to take their seats."


	4. The Sorting Hat

That was the scariest moment for Kiku at Hogwarts so far. He could have sworn that the headmaster had taken an extra long look at him, from behind those thin glasses.

"Let's be on with it," the headmaster commenced, gesturing to the side, "First and foremost, we must sort the first-years into their Houses."

Hagrid emerged from a side door, holding an odd drape in a strange fashion. (But when had he vanished from their group? Surely a large man like Hagrid couldn't have slipped away so easily.) He placed it on a stool which Kiku had failed to notice before, and stepped back, reaching for a scroll tucked unceremoniously under his arm. Poor Hagrid. He could be quite clumsy sometimes. He wasn't the most "educated" when it came to formalities.

Hagrid unraveled the scroll quite noisily, and Kiku saw the looks that some of the other professors had. This was extremely awkward for them. Kiku could tell right away that Hagrid had never done this before.

Hagrid cleared his throat.

"When I call yer' name, please -uh- step forward and take a seat on this stool. I'll place th'Sortin' Hat on yer head, and th'Sortin' Hat will decide which House ye' belong in." There was a pause, before Hagrid realised his mistake. "Oh!" He hurried to unveil what was likely the ugliest hat Kiku ever saw. It was a wizard's cap, no doubt, but it was a brown, leathery thing with buckles and many folds. A face suddenly emerged from the folds, and the Japanese was alarmed.

"Jane Dursley-" Hagrid called, and everyone watched a timid brunette child slowly step forward. Hagrid nodded at her, beckoning to come closer, and he helped her onto the chair, after removing the Hat. Then, without further ado, he slid the Hat down onto the girl's head.

"Bah!" The Hat cried, jumping into animation, and the girl flinched. The poor thing shook. "A weak heart, but a kind heart... Yes, yes... I see..." The hat went on, making vague observations about the girl. Kiku wondered if the hat could read the wearer's thoughts. "...HUFFLEPUFF!"

Cheers erupted from all around, and applause crackled. Some of the students from one of the outer tables gave a standing ovation. The girl, Jane Dursley, slid off of the chair with a bright smile on her face, and she was directed to sit at the outer table with the standing students.

Oh, those must be students from the Hufflepuff House, Kiku realised.

The students were gradually sorted into their Houses. Kiku smiled broadly for Peter McDallen, when he, too, was sorted into Hufflepuff. His mannerisms were similar to Jane Dursley's, and Kiku soon discovered the standard to which the Sorting Hat held its wearers: a person's /character/.

Watching Chauncey Higgins's placement was very amusing. The freckle-faced boy strode forward with some measurement of confidence, but when he sat on the stool, he shriveled up, mumbling a chorus of lines that were once uttered by another boy many, many years ago on that very same seat.

"Not Slytherin-" he whispered desperately, "Please don't put me with Slytherin- anywhere but Slytherin-"

The Sorting Hat barked, "Not Slytherin? Another Higgins like you would surely fit in with Slytherin..."

Chauncey then had the nerve to yip, "No! I'll die if I'm stuck with Shannon!"

Kiku had to resist the urge to look back and find his sister's face in the crowd.

"...Very well..." The Hat murmured, "... I give you to... GRYFFINDOR!"

More applause and whoops erupted. Chauncey's face lit up like a Christmas tree. Kiku clapped especially for him. He watched Chauncey step down to join the Gryffindors at their table. Welcoming hands pat his back, and Kiku found Chauncey's sister. She looked both indifferent and relieved. At least everything worked out well for them.

Kiku nearly had a heart attack when his name was called. He swallowed a small knot and stepped forward. Eyes drilled into his back. He could feel them. A sudden hot flash swept over him. He suddenly felt unreasonably exposed. He felt suddenly, as if everyone knew that he was the one who got sick on the train. Well, this would certainly be interesting, to see which House would receive this awkward fledgling. Kiku seated himself stiffly, and Hagrid lowered the Hat onto his head. The Sorting Hat jerked forward on his head with a hiss; it was surprisingly much heavier on his head than he thought it would be.

"Well, well~" the Hat mused, "Intelligence, I see much of it in you. ... You're firm,... kind... but you are a thoughtful person, I see... A dreamer, of sorts... RAVENCLAW!"

Kiku almost missed the House name, he was so muddled up in his thoughts. He spotted Harley, sitting towards the middle of the Gryffindor table, who threw a sharp whistle out for him. Kiku slid off the seat, confused. Which table was Ravenclaw's?

"That way, Kiku," Hagrid kindly pointed. Kiku was momentarily stuck, before his feet brought him down to sit with his classmates.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw, mate!" One of the boys greeted warmly, among other complimentary welcoming phrases. Things settled back down, so that the remaining students could be sorted.

The little girl who had taken his hand on the boat was also sorted into Ravenclaw. Kiku received a grin and a thumbs-up from Chauncey, and likewise from Harley. Kiku was curious about the white-haired boy, but as for the rest of the students, he hardly paid attention. He scanned the room for Arthur Kirkland.

"Emil Steilsson," Hagrid named, and the Asian's attention was diverted. The boy with silver-white hair was stepping up. He watched the young man sit, and the Hat made its own proclamations about him. It said that he was "iron-willed", but not much more. Even the Sorting Hat had trouble dissecting people sometimes, it appeared. After murmurings and mutterings, the Hat said, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The strange-looking boy stepped down and was received. The last two students were sorted with ease.

Once everyone was seated, the headmaster rose to her feet and took to the intricate podium. She then began to lay out the ground rules of Hogwarts, such as curfews and forbidden zones. She explained briefly about a sport called "Quidditch", and explained the House Cup. A long last, she rang in dinner, and before their eyes, platters upon platters of food magically appeared before them. The room was filled with clamour once more, and the students eagerly picked at the plates. The Asian student reached for the roast in front of him, helping himself to a sliver, before moving on to get some stuffing. Very quickly, the setup became tricky. Plates would soon vanish and new plates with different comestibles would appear. It took a little while for Kiku to figure out that magic was rearranging the plates on the tables, so that everyone could have easy access to the food in turn. He honestly didn't have much of an appetite though. He could still taste the Every Flavor Beans, and it disturbed his pallet. He managed the roast and the stuffing, but that was it. He couldn't be bothered with the switching platters either.

"Oi, what's ye'r name-?" A Scot piped up, piquing Kiku's focus.

"I'm sorry-?" Kiku returned, hardly being able to understand him over the other voices around him.

"I said what's ye'r name?"

"Kiku Honda-" he answered. Did he not hear Hagrid say it before he went up to get sorted?

"Pleasure!" the Scot reached a hand over the table. Kiku shook it, but jerked it back when a platter suddenly appeared. The Scot was surprised too.

"Sorry- Shoulda kept an eye out fer that," he muttered. Kiku nodded, briefly studying the man. He had bright orange-red hair, which stood out easily among everyone. Hard emerald eyes which struck him familiarly in the strangest way had Kiku wondering. The piercings in his ear gave Kiku the impression that this upperclassman was edgy.

Something across the room had his eyes fleeing suddenly.

At that moment, Kiku spotted Arthur staring back at him.

"Me' name's Allistor. Allistor Kirkland."

He was seated at the Slytherin table.


End file.
